Bar V5 Ranch co-owner Tyler Murphy never wants to get married. He certainly never wants to have any kids. After being thrust into the role of instant father to his young sister at the age of eighteen, Ty has decided that the bachelor lifestyle fits him just fine. But when the Bar V5 hires an events coordinator to handle destination weddings, Ty can't help but feel the pull of attraction to her...and her spunky six-year-old daughter.

Meg Redstone is used to doing it on her own. From the moment her ex-husband left her alone a pregnant she has provided for her daughter and been all the family she will ever need. But this Christmas is shaping up to be different. Meg didn't realize that by landing a job at the Bar V5 Ranch she would also be landing the "family" that came with it. Can she accept her role in the life of her new friends? Or will her mounting attraction to the Bar V5's sexy co-owner send her running scared?

MISTLETOE WEDDING is the fourth book about the Bar V5 Ranch by Melissa McClone for Tule Publishing's Montana Born imprint. Like its predecessors, MISTLETOE WEDDING is full of light- hearted jests and heart-warming moments.

The hero in this story is experiencing his first Christmas as a responsibility-free bachelor after the marriage of his younger sister to his best friend and business partner. He has no desire to jump back into the fray and I believe that sentiment is easy to understand. Many people who were charged with raising their siblings aren't eager to embrace the possibility of parenthood. The way that Melissa McClone handles this story line keeps Tyler from looking like a care-free jerk, which isn't always easy when dealing with reluctant grooms.

The delight of this story is the relationship between EVERYONE and little Brooklyn. In a way she becomes a mascot for the ranch and when you consider that she has only ever had her mother in her life until this point, the idea of all of those people looking out for her must have been thrilling. Everyone from Ty's sister to the ranch hands has their moments with her and by the end all of them are emotionally invested in her.

As with all of the Montana Born books, the character development really stands out. Not only are their characters introduced from earlier books by Melissa McClone, but also characters created by other authors who write for the imprint. The intricate webbing of relationships is fun and intriguing and keeps readers coming back for more.

Ending on a great note: there are still plenty of characters from the Bar V5 left for Melissa McClone to write about, so we will be seeing Ty and Meg again in the (hopefully near) future.